Issue 134

November 2015

While interval training has been proven to be the most effective way of training to cut weight and develop fitness, facing up to grueling cardio sessions can give even the most ardent gym rat a sense of deflation. However, scientists in Denmark believe they’ve stumbled across the best way to hit your goals without hitting the wall.

Jens Bangsbo, a professor at the University of Copenhagen believes 10-20-30 training provides all the impact you need without the pain associated with interval sets. Simply: run, ride or row for 30 seconds at a gentle pace, 20 seconds at moderate pace and then 10 seconds flat out. According to his study group, this form of high-intensity interval training (HITT) proved less likely to encourage people to skip the gym and miss a cardio workout.

700%

MMA may be the fastest growing sport worldwide, but open-water swimming is giving it a run for its money in the UK. Swimming in lakes, rivers and seas has gone up almost 700% across the pond in the last 10 years. More than 20,000 people registered for events in 2014. 

Butter back in – margarine out

After years of being told dairy and red meat is slowing killing us, scientists in Canada have revealed they’ve found no clear association between the consumption of saturated fats and heart or cardiovascular disease. Man-made trans fats are actually the real villains of the piece.

According to an analysis of 123 separate studies, the team at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, found that eating more industrial trans fats, which are made by hydrogenating plant oils, is associated with a 34% increase in death for any reason. So bacon, butter, milk and eggs are back – while margarine, donuts and other deep-fried fast food are definitely still out.

Baobob: the truly super fruit

Forget about acai and goji berries, and leave the kale and chia seeds behind too, as the newest go-to superfood is baobab, a pod-like fruit that looks destined to revitalize farming in southern Africa as readily as it can revitalize you. It boasts a higher antioxidant value and more fiber, vitamin C, potassium, magnesium and calcium than its super rivals, so look out for it being introduced by your favorite supplement provider in 2016.

Calories, not reps, key to weight cut

While the folk over at Coca-Cola may be telling you that obesity is caused by a lack of exercise rather than excess calories, the lab coats at Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine insist exercise alone will not help you lose weight. 

Its study, published in the International Journal of Epidemology, says: “There is only one effective way to lose weight – eat fewer calories... Numerous clinical trials have found that exercise plus calorie restriction achieves virtually the same weight loss as calorie restriction alone.” So make sure your diet’s disciplined if you want to trim down.